Process of concentration of metalliferous ores.



S. l. CLAWSON.

PROCESS OF CONCENTRATION OF METALLIFEROUS ORES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-2. 1914.

1,@%@,@Q% PatentedSept. 25,1917.

I & i *3 \w i w v E mmnm co pin-mm Eg PANT lt ld llEo SELDE N IRWIN CLAWSON, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

PROCESS OF CONCENTRATION OF METALLIFEROUS ORES.

Application filed January 2, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SELDEN I. CLAwsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salt- Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake, State of Utah, have invented certaln new and useful Improvements in Processes of Concentration of Metalliferous Ores, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to improvements in a-process of concentration of metalliferous ores by flotation.

The object of my invention is to provlde a process whereby all of the concentrates can be more readily separated from the gangue by flotation, and in which the oil, gas and other acids used to cause the concentration to rise to the surface of the water are readily saved and used again in the separation of other concentrates. Another object is to provide a simple, cheap and more effective process for sep arating the concentrates from the gangue, in which certain acids are used to cause the same to rise to the surface, whereby they may be more readily separated.

In the accompanying drawings-- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of an apparatus for carrying out my' process of separation.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 22, Fig. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, 1 represents a hopper which is supported in any desired manner and has its lower end in communication with a horizontally arranged elongated mixing chamber 2, in which is mounted a horizontally arranged rotatable shaft 3, carrying the agitating blades or teeth 4, for agitating the ore as it leaves the hopper, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The hopper 1, as shown, is connected to one end of the mixing chamber and connected to and in communication with the opposite end of the chamber is a pump casing 5, in which is mounted the centrifugal pump 6 on the shaft 3. The said shaft extends entirely through the pump casing and is provided with a pulley 7, by. means of which the pump and the agitator are rotated, as will be readily understood.

The pump casing has its lower end connected to the injector 11, which leads into Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 11am.-

Serial No. 809,927.

the horizontally arranged pipe 9. The said pipe, beyond the injector 11, is provided with a contracted passage 11, and beyond the contracted passage the pipe 9 is made in a zigzag form to causea greater agitation of the ore, as is indicated by the reference numeral 12. The zigzag passage is connected to and in communication with the chamber 1%, which has its upper end above a line with the entrance of the zigzag passage and of a transparent material, whereby the action within the chamber can be readily seen. The chamber 11 has, in communication with the opposite end, the concentrating box 15'and said communication being in a line with the upper end of the zigzag passage, as clearly shown in dotted lines, indicating the water line in the chamber.

The lower end of the chamber 14: is provided with a cook 16, by means of which the rock and other earth deposits can be readily drawn off. The lower end of the concentrating box 15 is provided with a cook 17, whereby the concentrates can be readily drawn therefrom. The top of the chamber 11 is provided with a downwardly disposed portion 11,which is directly abovethejunction of the chamber 14 and the concentrating box 15.

The pipe 9, just above the injector 11, has a pipe 18 in communication therewith which has connected thereto a horizontally arranged pipe 19 leading to the gas generator 20. whereby the gas is sucked from the pipe 18 by the injector 11. Connected to the pipe 19 is a pipe 21, which has its upper end in communication with the upper end of the concentrates box, whereby the unused gas is conveyed to the pipe 19 and used again.

Above the hopper 1 is an ore hopper 21', which is adapted to discharge into the said hopper 1. Above the hopper 1 is an oil tank 22 and the acid supply tank 22, which discharge into the hopper 1, as will be hereinafter more fully described. The salt water tank 23 is placed above the hopper 1, and is adapted to supply water thereto, as the ore, oil and acid is fed thereto, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

In operation, the ore, water, oil and acid are fed to the hopper 1, as heretofore described, and pass into the mixing chamber 2, where they are thoroughly mixed by the agitator blades or teeth 4:, and the mixture is then carried to the centrifugal pump Where it is more thoroughly mixed. The

m V I mixture is forced from the centrifugal pump through the injector'to the horizontal tube. As the mixture passes from the in \jector gas is drawn inwardly through the pipe 18 and mixes therewith. The mixture of ore, water, gas, oil and acid is then driven through the restricted passage under pressure, where it is more thoroughly mixed. It next passes through the zigzag passage and enters the separating chamber 14. The concentrates rise to the surface of the liquid in the chamber'by the aid of the buoyant materials addedto the charge'and the concentrates flow over the lip into the concentrates box 15. The rising and separating of the concentrates are further assisted by the air or gas passingin the same direction under the partition 14'. The rock or earthy ingredients unaifected by the buoyant materials sink to the bottom of the chamber 14 and are drawn off from the cock.

When gas is used in the operation, the gas is generated in the generator 20, as heretofore described, but when air is to be used, in place of gas, the generator 20 is closed and the pipe connections are opened by the valves 24 and 25 to the atmosphere. If the ore requires calcites, it is fed into the ore hopper 21' from the tank 26, above the same. Heat is applied in the form of steam, which also adds buoyancy to the concentrates.

- In my improved process, the ore is first thoroughly mixed with a saline solution, oil and an acid and is then thoroughly aerated or charged with gas, all of which will increase the buoyancy of the concentrates and when they enter the chamber 14, they float upon the surface of the solution, and upon gas pressure, which is present above the solution, a still greater buoyancy is given to the concentrates. The gangue sinks to the bottom of the chamber 14, while the concentrates float over the portion between the chamber 14 and the concentrates box 15, where the concentrates are removed, as heretofore described. The solution in the chamber 14 is heated by steam which gives still greater buoyancy to the-concen-.

trates. Any machine. consisting of an mclosure for maintaining a gas above the surface of the liquid in the flotation tank would answer the requirements of my new process.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The herein described improvement in concentrating ores by the flotation process which consists in mixing the pulverized ores with a saline solution and'oil, charging the mixture with gas, by throttled injection discharging the pulp thus formed into a closed separating chamber or tank, thesupply of gas being sufiicient to create a body of gas under pressure in the upper portion of said tank and returning the gas from the region of froth formation to the region of pulp and gas injection.

2. The herein described improvement in concentrating ores by the flotation process which consists in mixing the pulverized ores with a saline, solution, adding gas and oil under injection, forcing the mixture of pulp into one side ofa closed separatingchamber under pressure, collecting the concentrates from the opposite side of said chamber forwithdrawal, leading the surplus gas under pressure from the side of the separating chamber opposite its point of entry back to the point of injection for reuse in connection with a new supply of mixed ores. In testimony whereof, I aflix my signa- Witnesses:

JOHN H. Burrows, Lns'rnn MERRILL. 

